Syracuse University Sued For Academic Quality During COVID-19

To quote fellow Jerk Mag writer Alexa Deyo, “being a student in this environment truly feels like hell.” After nearly two full semesters of Zoom University, it's evident that our education quality at SU took a nosedive. Though the school still offered select in-person and hybrid courses, a majority of students were saddled with a significant online workload, resulting in frustration from many that were still forced to pay full tuition prices. On top of that, the majority of campus facilities were forced to close, clubs and activities were put to a halt, and laboratories for creative projects and scientific research were shut down. But despite all these cuts, SU actually chose to raise their prices for the 2020-2021 school year, meaning that while the cost of education increased, the quality of education decreased. This has left many students to question the legitimacy of the schools claims over their tuition, wondering why they have been forced to carry the economic burden that COVID-19 has created.

Although there have already been two (failed) attempts to hold the school accountable, SU has finally found itself in hot water, along with its other university buddies. In fact, over 70 lawsuits regarding COVID-19 tuition prices have popped up across the country, and now SU can finally say they are included on the list. The specific lawsuit against SU— led by adjunct SU law professor and former judge John Cherundolo— claims the University lied about the nature of in-person classes, raking in money while the majority of students were forced online anyway.

The success of this multi-million dollar lawsuit rests on the idea that the University promised something they did not offer— an enriching campus experience still worthy of a full-tuition price for the Fall 2020 semester. The University will likely argue that this promise was to provide the best education possible, and therefore is not subject to the claims the lawsuit makes. The official plaintiffs of the case are Stuart and Stacey Meissener, a prominent Manhattan attorney and former US Senate candidate, and family psychologist respectively. The two claim they’ve gotten involved to ensure that the lawsuit moves forward, although it will likely be a while before we see any significant updates.

When we think about this issue rationally, it seems obvious that not only SU, but the majority of universities across the country are asking for more money than they need. Are we the only ones wondering why they gave us an extra $20 in printing credit when we were forced… online? We’d rather have that $20 in our pockets. And if we, as students, are able to visibly see an extra runoff of funds like in our printing credit, imagine how much goes on behind the scenes we aren’t aware of. What is the money really being used for now that so much of the college experience has shifted online? What is happening to all the money that was previously used for ice cream bars on the quad, in-person events, and other activities that have been rendered extinct thanks to the pandemic?

If SU honestly needed to raise their tuition prices, then the University should be significantly more transparent with their allocation of funds. Many students are clearly feeling frustrated with the breakdown of the current tuition bill, and the school remains quite vague where money is concerned. Ultimately, this is an issue of respect, especially when the sticker price of an SU education is over $70,000. Even if the lawsuit doesn’t hold up in court, its existence is a reminder that the SU administration is very disconnected from the students it claims to support. When it comes down to it, students should be the last ones to carry the financial weight of the coronavirus pandemic— it should be the school that claims to support them. Let’s just hope the court sees it the same way.